Changes are written on the smiling faces of the villagers
Night view of Xiongshan Park Amusement Park.
(All pictures in this edition, except those with signatures, are provided by Huangwan Village Committee)
50 minutes from Beijing West Railway Station to Xiongan Station. Half an hour's drive to Huangwan Village.
In the evening, the lights of Xiongshan Park near the village were turned on. Some people were taking their children for a walk in the square, some were dancing, and some were doing live broadcasts. The night market was bustling, and the owner of a milk tea shop told reporters that this was not the busiest time. "If it is weekends or holidays, many outsiders will come to play. Sometimes I am too busy, so I will ask my family to help."
In the six years since the establishment of Xiongan New Area, it has insisted on coordinated urban and rural development. While accelerating urbanization, rural revitalization is also being promoted simultaneously. Huangwan Village is exploring and practicing in Xiongan in its own way. Last year, the village's collective income reached 20 million yuan, and the per capita net income reached 45,800 yuan. Over the past 20 years, from a backward village to a "plastic village" and then to a beautiful countryside, the changes here are full of vigor and vitality.
Abandoning "white" and following "green" with a broad mind
There is an exquisite archway at the entrance of Huangwan Village. The main road into the village is an asphalt road, straight and wide. More than 20 years ago, there was not even a decent road here.
"Our village is made of clay soil, with low terrain in the middle and high terrain around. In the past, the water in the low-lying areas was waist-deep, and bicycles were stuck in places without water. Don't even think about going out on rainy days." Liu Qiulan, secretary of the Huangwan Village Party Branch, said.
In the 1990s, a southern businessman came to the village to discuss business. Because the road was not easy to walk, the car had to stop as soon as it arrived at the edge of the village. The businessman's shoes were stuck after walking a few steps, and he had to return home disappointed.
This story spread throughout the village, and it further strengthened Huangwan Village's determination to eradicate the "root of poverty." But how can it be easy for a village with no collective income and a lot of foreign debt to develop?
Liu Qiuluan, who has worked in the plastics industry for more than ten years, understands that industry is the "golden key" to drive villagers to get rich. He decided to try to run a factory in the village. So, he brought in two villagers whose businesses were a little better to establish the collective enterprise Tianhua Plastic Factory. Later, some villagers participated in the fundraising. Because the industry was concentrated and there was no worry about sales, the plastic factory was doing a booming business and made a profit of more than 200,000 yuan that year.
In this way, with Tianhua Plastic Factory as the leader, the village established an industrial zone, and there were 83 plastic companies at its peak. Plastic income accounted for more than 70% of the village's collective income, and Huangwan Village became a well-known "plastic village".
"The plastic industry has made us rich, but the environmental problems it brings cannot be ignored either." Liu Qiuluan said that after the establishment of the new district, a large number of "scattered, messy and polluting" enterprises were closed down, among which plastic packaging enterprises accounted for a large proportion. Huangwan Village actively responded to the call and shut down and transfer the plastic factory in the village.
The factory was closed, and the villagers were in trouble, not knowing where to go in the future. Guo Yanqiang, 46, is a member of the Huangwan Village Party Branch. He used to have his own factory, producing plastic book covers and document bags. "Later, I figured it out. Protecting the ecological environment is more important. In the long run, it will bring greater benefits." Guo Yanqiang said.
If we don't make plastics, what should we do? "Our village is 2 kilometers away from the East Wharf of Baiyangdian. It would be great if we can attract people who go there to come to the village to play!"
"To attract people, we must have a good environment!"
"There are big and small Xiongshan in Xiong County in history. Can we build a park to reproduce the historical scene?"
Everyone said something, and Xiongshan Park eventually became the first business project of Huangwan Village, opening up new ideas for it to abandon "white" and follow "green". "We piled harmless construction waste into mountains, built artificial lakes, stone bridges, fountains, and planted pine, cypress and other ornamental trees and roses and other flowers." Guo Yanqiang introduced.
After the completion of Xiongshan Park, it attracted many villagers and surrounding people to visit. During the May Day holiday this year, the park received up to 50,000 tourists per day, which boosted the catering and accommodation in the village. "A good ecology is the support point for rural revitalization. In the constant exploration, we choose to take the path of green development." Guo Yanqiang said that the villagers are happy to eat "ecological meals".
Queue up to experience pastoral fun
For some time, the shared farm in Huangwan Village has been popular. "This model is currently the only one in Xiongan New Area." Hu Xiaoyun, the person in charge of the shared farm, introduced that as long as everyone pays a certain rent, they can claim one or two mu of land to grow fruits and vegetables. Farm tools, seedlings, fertilizers, electricity and water are provided by the farm.
During the visit, the reporter met Ms. Ma who was weeding in the field. Ms. Ma's hometown is Beijing, and she now lives in Xiongxian County. "The air here is fresh. I come here to turn the soil, water, plant seedlings, and sow seeds when I have time. It's so relaxing to sweat! I can also eat pure natural green vegetables, which is great!" Ms. Ma enjoys working in the small vegetable garden. She enthusiastically introduces the vegetables she grows, "This side is amaranth, radish, and quick vegetables, and there are rapeseed, beans, and eggplants. I eat some of them myself and give some to relatives and friends." "We divide the planting claim areas into Beijing District, Tianjin District, Xiong'an District, and Shijiazhuang District. At present, all the vegetable plots have been claimed, and there are still many people waiting in line." Hu Xiaoyun said that a larger shared area will be planned in the future to facilitate more residents to come and experience the pastoral fun. In Huangwan Village, you can also pick. Not far from the shared farm is the modern agricultural industrial park built by the village. In the glass greenhouse, climbing vegetables such as tomatoes grow along ropes, and various leafy vegetables grow on cultivation racks.
"It's not soil underneath, but water and nutrient solution. The base of each vegetable is filled with liquid, which is transported to the top of the cultivation rack through intelligent water and fertilizer control technology, and then precisely drip-irrigated to the roots of the vegetables. We can still grow vegetables without soil!" said Hu Jiangbo, a member of the Huangwan Village Party Branch.
Liu Jing, a staff member of the park, is pruning tomato branches and leaves in the shed. This is her daily work. "If you don't prune, the branches and leaves block the light, and the tomatoes are not easy to mature, or they are not red when they are ripe." Liu Jing pointed with her hand and said, "Look! There are many people picking them recently, and the particularly red ones have been picked almost all."
Liu Jing was a housewife before and had no source of income. "Now, I can earn more than 3,000 yuan a month, and it is close to home, which is convenient for taking care of children." Talking about this job, she is very satisfied.
Where do tourists stay when they come? Huangwan Village is making a fuss about characteristic homestays. Walking along the main road into the village, you will come to a street of homestays.
Zhuwu, Gantang, Shixian Ganquan, Lvmiao Yanbo... Each courtyard has a very poetic name. Walking into the Zhuwu courtyard, a small bridge, a wooden pavilion, and a waterside pavilion come into view, and the gurgling water makes people feel relaxed.
"After the building was built, the villagers moved out of the old courtyard one after another. The village converted these old houses into homestays, with unified planning and unified management." Hu Jiangbo said that 15 independent courtyards with a total of 81 houses have been built. The whole courtyard can be rented or a single room can be rented. Last year, a courtyard could get 50,000 to 60,000 yuan, which is 10 times the rental income of individual villagers.
Mr. Zhang from Langfang, Hebei has a family of four. Near noon, two children were swinging on the swings in the yard, and Mr. Zhang and his wife were cooking in the kitchen. "Friends said the environment is good, so we rented the whole courtyard for a year." Mr. Zhang, who has lived there for a while, said, "It is indeed very quiet here, with complete facilities and considerate service. It is very comfortable!"
The people-friendly measures warm people's hearts
Everyone in the surrounding area knows that there is a primary school in Huangwan. "These two buildings used to be the village committee, and later they were transferred to the school." Song Limin, principal of Huangwan Primary School, introduced that in recent years, the village has invested millions of yuan to upgrade the school's hardware, which has led to cooperation with the Baoding Normal School Affiliated School, and the teaching quality has been significantly improved. "The number of students has expanded from more than 400 at the beginning to more than 800, and most of them are children from other villages."
Huangwan Primary School attaches great importance to moral education. In the reading room, a number of faith diaries attracted the attention of reporters.
"April 1, 2017, is an exciting and unforgettable day for Xiong'an people. Everyone's heart is boiling with anticipation. On this day, the news of the establishment of Xiong'an New Area, the city of the future, spread." In the diary with the theme of "I grow up with Xiong'an", Wang Youhan from Class 3 (2) described the changes since the establishment of the new area from his own perspective, "Educational conditions have improved, and there are high-quality medical services at our doorstep. We are very happy."
Song Limin said that the faith diary was promoted by the school in 2018, aiming to encourage students to record their inner thoughts and feelings through diaries during traditional festivals or important time nodes. "The faith diaries of different grades and classes are all placed here, and students can read, learn and discuss with each other."
In addition to "one small", there is also "one old". The old people in Huangwan Village always have a smile on their faces. Here, villagers who participate in the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme can enjoy 20% reimbursement after reimbursement of medical expenses for hospitalization; the elderly receive pension subsidies every quarter: 600 yuan for those over 70 years old, 800 yuan for those over 80 years old, and 1,300 yuan for those over 90 years old.
79-year-old Hu Junqing suffered from premature heart beats very early and had a stent. Because of his underlying disease, he has been hospitalized many times in the past two years. This expense has become a burden on his family. "The last time I was hospitalized in the county, I spent more than 5,000 yuan. I first reimbursed more than 3,000 yuan, and the village reimbursed more than 700 yuan." Hu Junqing said that such people-friendly measures make people feel warm.
I get up at 5:30 every morning and go for a walk in the square behind the village. "I can walk 10,000 steps a day!" Hu Junqing said that the village has an elderly activity center and is also building an elderly canteen. "The future life will definitely become more and more comfortable. I have to exercise my body well!"
The changes in Huangwan Village in recent years are written on the smiling faces of the villagers. Walking here, the biggest feeling is that everyone is in a good spirit and the village committee has a strong cohesive force. Liu Qiuluan talked about the magic weapon for the governance of Huangwan Village: forming clubs and carrying out colorful cultural and sports activities. "We have 18 clubs including basketball team, square dance team, yangko team, gong and drum team, etc." Liu Qiuluan introduced that the square dance competition hosted by the village has been held for seven sessions, attracting more than 100 teams from inside and outside the county to participate.
Among the 18 clubs, there is a mountaineering team, which often organizes everyone to go mountaineering in the nearby Langya Mountain. "I am a mountaineering fan, and many villagers also like to climb mountains. Although the process is tiring, you can only appreciate the infinite scenery at the top of the mountain." Liu Qiuluan said that we will not stop at today's achievements, and will lead the villagers to continue climbing towards a better life.